Meaningful Goals Create a Meaningful Life

How to accomplish a lot in life.

The most accomplished people in the world are experts at setting and reaching goals. Learn from them. All great people are great because they have made meaningful goals and took action to reach those goals. All joyful great people are among the happiest people in the world because they enjoy all that they are doing to achieve their meaningful goals.

Two people might be busy for the same amount of time. But the
person who knows what he wants to accomplish will accomplish
more within that time. Clarity of goals gives you added incentive
and motivation.

When you know your priorities in life, you focus your attention
on those priorities. This leads to more focused words and actions.
When you know your target, you can improve your aim. When
you know where you want to go, you can reach your destination.
And when you enjoy the journey, you will have added energy to
do what it takes to get there.

The ability to set a goal and follow through is one of the most
essential skills that a person can have. Having a strong desire to
reach a goal is a main factor in reaching it.

If you knew that you could reach whatever goals you wrote
down, what goals would you add to your list?

People tend to accomplish more when they write down their
goals. This is especially important when they have a number of
meaningful goals.

If you knew that you could reach whatever goals you wrote
down, what goals would you add to your list?

If you haven't written a list of goals yet, it's a good idea to stop
reading and write down a goal. Choose a goal that would make
you feel wonderful if you reached it. But don't just write down
goals just for the sake of having a list of goals. You must also have
a strong desire to reach those goals, to avoid being distracted from
achieving them.
For a start, you can even write down a small goal that is easy to
accomplish. Make a goal to call someone who would appreciate
hearing from you, and then call them up. Make a goal to write to
someone who would appreciate receiving a letter, and then write
that letter. Another possible goal is to go to a store and buy something
that you need.

Thinking of these small actions as goals and then actually doing
them adds to your ongoing list of goals that you have reached!

It's important to be clear about the goal of your goals. Why do
you want the goals that you want? In what other ways can you
reach the goals of your goals?

When you have an intense will and desire to reach a goal, you
will be more likely to reach it. You will find the right people to help you. You will gain the knowledge and skills that you need. You will find a teacher, mentor, or coach to help you.

Believe in your ability to make and reach goals. How do you
gain this belief? Through life experience. Remember a time that
you managed to accomplish something you had thought was
impossible. Even if you needed to exert a lot of effort, that experience
is a lifetime resource. It is a clear proof that you can do something
if you are determined to do it. After setting a goal, plan how
to reach that goal. Some people make goals and sincerely wish
to achieve those goals, but because they didn't make a plan, they
didn't take the steps necessary to reach their goals.

Be aware of possible obstacles that could prevent you from
reaching your goals. Plan what to do to get past the obstacles.
If you tried a plan that didn't work, then make another plan.

With perseverance, you will end up accomplishing
and achieving many worthwhile things throughout your life.

If that doesn't work out, make another plan until you are successful.
Be open to the feedback you receive from every plan that
doesn't work. This experience will give you more wisdom and
knowledge. With perseverance, you will end up accomplishing
and achieving many worthwhile things throughout your life.

Which of your goals will add to the happiness and joy in your
life and the lives of others? Which goals will add to your sense of
meaning and fulfillment?

Someone who accomplished a lot in his life told me the following
story:

I used to feel a tremendous sense of pressure to accomplish
major things. I was very aware of the accomplishments of people
I respected and admired, and I kept thinking that I hadn't accomplished enough. I spoke to someone who was helpful in assisting people to make and reach life goals.

"It's highly commendable that you have a strong drive to
accomplish," he said to me. "But are you clear about what you
would need to accomplish in order to stop being so hard on yourself?"

"Not exactly. But I know that what I have already accomplished
isn't significant enough. I keep telling myself that if I don't accomplish
more, I will consider my life a failure," I confessed.

He suggested that I create spirit-centered goals. He clarified,
"It takes time until you reach material goals. And many goals
need other people's help in order to reach them. When it comes
to spiritual goals, the very first day that you are clear about your
goals and you write them down, you will experience a shift in
consciousness.

"When you actively pursue your spiritual goals, you can transform
your feelings of failure to a feeling of value. You stop thinking
of yourself as a finite being who is only on the planet for a
short while, with a life that is full of frustrations and disappointments.
Your spiritual self is connected with the Creator. You have
a sense of infinite and eternal."

After the first week of greater spiritual clarity, I found that my
entire life was so much more meaningful. Before, I was never
really satisfied with any accomplishment. Now I began to experience
a deep sense of serenity.

I realize that there is always so much more to do. But I live in
the present moment. I have long-term goals, but I experience life
moment by moment. My added awareness of the Creator and His
love for me has given me a new lease on life.

Excerpted from Rabbi Pliskin's new book TAKING ACTION (Artscroll).
Laziness and procrastination prevent a person from accomplishing and reaching meaningful goals. "Zrizus" – alacrity -- is the antidote that will enable you to increase your joyful willpower. This book is a must for anyone who wants to utilize more of his potential.

Related Articles:

About the Author

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is a noted psychologist and prolific author of 24 books, including Guard Your Tongue, Gateway to Happiness, Gateway to Self Knowledge, Love Your Neighbor, Growth Through Torah, The Power of Words, Consulting the Wise, and the recent Life is Now. Rabbi Pliskin lives in Jerusalem, and is the director of Aish HaTorah's Counseling Center and a senior lecturer at Aish's Essentials program and the Executive Learning Center. He was ordained at the Telshe Yeshiva in Ohio and holds a degree in Counseling Psychology.

Visitor Comments: 3

(3)
ruth housman,
October 6, 2008 6:42 AM

being present

These are beautiful and wise comments about intentionality and the power of goals. You cannot be a leader unless you know where you are going. It is always a good idea to stop, ponder, and reflect on your true self, your inner desire to potentiate. There is also a beauty, in stopping completely, to observe the river, to let go, to realize you are part of something so much bigger than yourself and to be aware that you, as part of the river, can also, sometimes, in times of doubt and indecision, when unclear about why you are here, can allow yourself to drift, in the sunlight, in the cold rain, in all seasons, because that, too is part of the story. We all question. Try in trying times to enjoy the dawn, the sunsets, a child's smile, the rays of light that will surely enter and give you warmth. Despair at not taking action is also taking action. Sometimes we are unclear. Sometimes writing down our thoughts is most helpful. And other times, it is in the stillness of the void, that most of us do avoid, by putting in too much action and too much activity, that we can find our way to our true selves and to the beauty of total connectivity and that Presence, referred to so beautifully in this piece. We need our time in the wilderness and, as Thoreau so eloquently stated, "In wilderness is the preservation of the world." Perhaps this too, leads us to taking action, namely to preserve what's beautiful and true about this creation for us all.

(2)
Bill Pentecost,
October 4, 2008 8:02 AM

Thanks

Thank you for your many insights and the practical wisdom (I guess all wisdon is practical) that you share.

(1)
Marina,
October 3, 2008 6:46 PM

When we focus on spiritual goals, the process shines!

Thank you for telling us that after each worldly goal is reached, comes a spiritual one: to know what to do with the achievement attained. Then the processes of the following efforts become important, too. The efforts will bring us closer to the Almighty.

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I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...